Beijing’s national security office in Hong Kong has met representatives from foreign media outlets in the city and warned them against crossing “red lines”, following reports it said smeared the government’s fire relief efforts and attacked the Legislative Council election.
According to sources, foreign media outlets that were requested to attend the meeting included Agence France-Presse, the Financial Times, The New York Times and Associated Press. Bloomberg News reported it also attended.
The media representatives were sternly cautioned, with an official saying: “Don’t say I didn’t warn you in advance” – a phrase often used by Beijing to signal a serious warning.
It was the first time the Office for Safeguarding National Security had openly requested journalists from overseas media in Hong Kong to attend a meeting.
The move came just days after the office warned people against using the disaster to “plunge Hong Kong back into the chaos” of 2019, when massive demonstrations challenged Beijing and triggered a political crisis.
During the meeting, the office also warned foreign media outlets against crossing “red lines”, stressing it would not tolerate “anti-China” elements taking advantage of the disaster to disrupt Hong Kong.
